Legault to follow Trump's lead in push to make gains with CAQ

While his adversaries reproach him for borrowing the negative tone of Donald Trump, Coalition Avenir Québec leader François Legault said his party should follow the lead of the president-elect in hearing the concerns of citizens.

Coalition Avenir Québec Leader François Legault responds to reporters at a news conference at the entrance of a party caucus meeting, Thursday, October 27, 2016 at the legislature in Quebec City. CAQ MNA Nathalie Roy, right, looks on.Jacques Boissinot / THE CANADIAN PRESS

DRUMMONDVILLE — While his adversaries reproach him for borrowing the negative tone of Donald Trump, Coalition Avenir Québec leader François Legault said his party should follow the president-elect’s lead in hearing the concerns of citizens.

Legault said while he rejects the style and certain positions of Trump, the next president showed he was listening to Americans, despite some stumbles.

“I’m comfortable with the fact that Mr. Trump is concerned with what the citizens want,” said Legault. “These people are not satisfied with their government, finding that their government is far from the people. I think I am someone who is close to the people.”

In a presse conference during the party’s national congress in Drummondville, the Legault affirmed however that Trump is not his model for leadership.

“I don’t like the style, I do not like falling into exaggeration, into simplicity, into populism,” he said.

Still, Legault acknowledged the two leaders agree on some policy points, such as lowering taxes and more stringent immigration.

“Mr. Trump is preoccupied with the fact that the middle class feels smothered by taxes,” Legault said. “Mr. Trump is worried about terrorism in the face of poor integration of some immigrants. These are the issues of the CAQ.”